Flexible bags – With closure – Gathered bag mouth
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2002-06-11
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Flexible bags
With closure
Gathered bag mouth
Reexamination Certificate
active
06402377
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to plastic packages and, more particularly, relates to a drawtape bag having a strip that has reduced blocking to itself as well as other surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sealable polymeric packages, such as trash bags, are a common household item. The bags come to the consumer in the form of a roll of interconnected bags or as pre-separated bags housed in a dispensing box. When the bags are provided in the form of a roll, one end of the bag, the bottom, is thermally sealed closed and connected to its neighboring bag along a perforated line; the other end of the bag, the open mouth end, is attached to its neighboring bag solely along another perforated line. When the bags are pre-separated, neighboring bags are generally overlapped or interweaved in such a manner that removal of one bag from the dispensing box draws the neighboring bag toward an opening in the box.
To close a typical polymeric bag after it has been filled by the consumer, the bag body adjacent the open mouth end of the bag is gathered and tied into a knot or secured using a separate tie member supplied by the vendor of the bags. Tie members typically include paper coated flexible wires, rubber bands, or strips of plastic having a locking mechanism to provide a means to pull tight and securely fasten the neck of the bag. The need for separate tie members, however, adds an additional cost factor for the manufacturer, and ultimately, the consumer. In addition, separate tie members are easily lost and hence can be a nuisance for the consumer. Polymeric packages having integral closure systems overcome these problems. Such integral closure systems can be in the form of tie members, adhesives and the like.
One particularly advantageous closure system is a drawtape or drawstring that is integral to the bag body. Bags of this type are typically in the form of a pair of pliable thermoplastic body panels joined to each other along a pair of opposing sides and a bottom bridging the opposing sides. The bag may be opened along a mouth end formed opposite the bottom. The body panels form a hem along the mouth end of the bag, and the hem houses a pliable thermoplastic drawtape. One or more drawtape holes located within the hem expose the drawtape allowing it to be pulled through the holes to close the bag and to be used as a handle.
When consumers use a drawtape bag as a liner for a trash container, the bag body is inserted into the trash container such that the bag body generally extends downward into the trash container. The mouth end of the bag, including the hem, is drawn over and loosely mounted around an upper portion of the trash container. A shortcoming of such drawtape bags has been that the mouth end of the bag might fall back into the trash container, especially when consumers discard trash into the bag. This can be a nuisance for the consumer, who must then lift the mouth end of the bag out of the trash container and around the upper portion thereof. If the consumer does not notice that the mouth end of the bag has fallen into the trash container, the consumer might discard trash that is not captured by the drawtape bag but rather contacts and possibly sullies the inside wall of the trash container. This defeats the purpose of the bag, which is to serve as a liner for the trash container.
The use of some materials in forming the bag may also result in a condition termed blocking. Blocking is the undesired adhesion between layers of plastic materials in contact with each other. Blocking may prevent or inhibit portions of the bag from being able to move freely against another surface, such as the drawtape in a hem of a bag. Blocking may be caused by tacky materials or static electricity and may be exacerbated by higher temperatures and pressures. Higher temperatures and/or pressures are commonly encountered in hot warehouses. These warehouses may store material to be used in the bags, as well as storing the drawtape bags in boxes that are stacked. Winding tends to induce even higher pressures between the layers of film since polymers are extensible and the winding tension creates pressure in the roll.
Therefore, a need exists for a drawtape bag that overcomes the above-noted problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one embodiment, a drawtape bag comprises a pair of pliable thermoplastic body panels, a pliable drawtape and an elastomeric strip. The pair of liable thermoplastic body panels are joined to each other along a pair of opposing sides and a bottom bridging the opposing sides. At least one of the body panels forms a hem extending along a mouth end disposed opposite the bottom. The hem includes one or more drawtape holes. The pliable drawtape is housed within the hem and includes a gathered section. The drawtape is partially exposed by the drawtape holes which allow the drawtape to be pulled therethrough to close the bag and to be used as a handle. The elastomeric strip is connected to the gathered section of the drawtape. The elastomeric strip comprises behenamide.
According to another embodiment, a drawtape bag includes a pair of thermoplastic body panels, a pair of pliable drawtapes and a pair of elastomeric strips. The pair of pliable thermoplastic body panels are joined to each other along a pair of opposing sides and a bottom bridging the opposing sides. The body panels form respective hems extending along a mouth end disposed opposite the bottom. Each of the hems includes one or more drawtape holes. The pair of pliable drawtapes is housed within the respective hems. Each of the drawtapes includes a gathered section. Each of the drawtapes is partially exposed by the respective drawtape holes which allow the respective drawtape to be pulled therethrough to close the bag and to be used as a handle. The pair of elastomeric strips is connected to the gathered section of the respective drawtapes. Each of the elastomeric strips comprises behenamide.
According to a further embodiment, a drawtape bag comprises at least one pliable thermoplastic body panel, a pliable drawtape and an elastomeric strip. At least one pliable thermoplastic body panel has a top and bottom portion. At least one body panel forms a hem extending along the top portion opposite of the bottom portion. The hem includes one or more drawtape holes. The pliable drawtape is housed within the hem and includes a gathered section. The drawtape is partially exposed by the drawtape holes which allow the drawtape to be pulled therethrough to close the bag and to be used as a handle. The elastomeric strip is connected to the gathered section of the drawtape and comprises behenamide.
According to yet another embodiment, an article comprises at least one pliable thermoplastic body panel and an elastomeric strip. The at least one pliable thermoplastic body panel has a top and bottom portion, and forms a hem extending along the top portion opposite of the bottom portion. The elastomeric strip comprises behenamide and is housed within the hem.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment, or every aspect of the present invention. This is the purpose of the figures and detailed description which follow.
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Long Steven P.
Moras Wayne J.
Vo Tin T.
Garbe Stephen P.
Jenkens & Gilchrist
Pactiv Corporation
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